Insulated mounting for electrical contacts



June 421,1927. O 1,633,005

V. R. DESPARD INSULA'IED MOUNTING FOR ELECTRICAL CONTACTS Filed July 19. 1924 j' M2M g@ and fasten Patented June 21, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

VICTOR R. DESPARD, OF VALPARAISO, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO MCGILL MANU'FACTUR-l ING COMPANY, OIE VALPARAISO, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA."v H

INSULATED MOUNTING FOR ELECTRICAL CONTACTS.

Application filed July 19,

My invention relates to a mounting for electrical contacts and more particularly to'v an insulating mounting for electrical contacts.

It is a purpose of lmy invention to provide means for mechanically fastening metallic parts of` electrical wiring devices or other electrical contacts to their insulating bases or supporting means so as to positively position the same relative to the insulating base member.

In the methods now in use, the contacts or 1 wiring terminals are usually provided withA a foot that lies flat against van insulating surface and are held in place by a screw that eX- tends through a counter-sunk hole in the insulating material, the head ofthe screw being encased in an insulatingl compound to prevent the screw from working loose. This method of assembling the parts is slow and comparatively expensive and furthermore, does not assure that the terminal will be positively held in place as in spite of t-he use of the insulating compound about the head of the screw, the screw often works loose so as to allow movement of the metallic member carrying the terminal screw relative to the insulating supporting means.

It is a purpose of my invention to provide contact carrying members that are provided with prongs or projections 'that extend through openings or slots in insulating members that are preferably of some form of insulating sheet material, said projections or prongs being clinched or upsetafter being passed through the openings in the insulating material to firmly secure the insulating members and the metallic terminal carrying members in assembled relation. Preferably, a laminated insulating material or molded bakelite is used for the insulating members.

It is still a further purpose of theinvention to provide means for securing conducting members such as contact terminal carrying members to a-pair of insulating base members so that said conducting members carrying the wiring terminals are held in a definite fixed relation to the insulating members and said insulating members are held in a definite fixed position relative to each other, by said conductingl members which space said insulating members and secure the same together. f

Itis still another purpose ofthe invention to provide a' switch memberrconiprising a 1924. Serial No. 727,042.

pair of` insulating members `of sheet insulating material which are provided with a pair of wiring terminals vthat are secured to the insulating members lso as to positively fix the position of said insulating and conducting members relative to each vother and to provide said terminal carrying conducting members with suitable contact terminals with which ay movable contact member is adapted to engage, said movable vcontact mmnber of `said switch mechanism being mounted on a suitable switch frame that is adapted to be held in position between said insulating members by means of said ter,- minal carrying conducting members.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description of the accompanying drawings proceeds. However, I desire to have it distinctly .understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the exact details shown or described but that I intend to include as part of my inventionall such obvious changes and modifications of parts as would occur to a person skilled in thisart and as would fall within kthe, scope of the claims. f v

In the drawings: 4

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a switch mechanism with the casing removed showing my improved method of securing the contact'. terminals to an insulating mounting;

Fig. 2 is a section of a switch mechanism with the cover in place, said section beingy taken substantially on a plane corresponding. to theline 2-2 of Fig. 1, the cover being downward; Y

Fig. 3 is a topplan view of a switch mechanism with the Acover removed, or asviewed from the bottom of Fig. 2, a portion thereofV being broken away ;V

Fig. l is a section of Fig. 3; and v Fig. 5 is a View partly in elevation andv partly in section showing my improved switch mechanism mounted in a canopy.'

Referring in detail to the drawings, in Figs. l to 4 inclusive is shown a switch mechanism whichismo-unted ona pair of insulating memberslO and 1l'. `Said vinsu,- lating members are preferably made of some form of sheet insulating material 0r of thin moldedinsulating material su'cli as bakelite; Preferably, said members are made of some form of laminated sheet insulating material j impregnated with a phenolic;l condensation taken on thev line i-4.

product..4 i andi-ll arefprti#1 vided with suitable openings 12 andlflre-` spectivelythrough which the prongs o: pro

The plates 16 are eehprovidedwith screw-i threaded Vopenings with which the terminal screws 17 are adapted to serewthreadedly en gage, said screws 17 serving as Wirinv terminiils-for' elettrica]ly` connecting suitablel conductors niitlr theV conductingl plates 16; said plates' or conduetin members 16:,being further provided Vwth'paus' of ears u18 which l aielbcatedon opposite" sides of the Screws 17 f f aty 'an' oblique anglev tothe' and which exten plates 16 and serve to confine the` endsof the conductors in close prbxim'ity to the' bind'- ing screws 17. In assembling these partis;

therprjeetinsor prongs it-jandpl arepex-itended through the insulating' members f 10 and 1'1 after` which' theparts are' placed in p prongs or projections by said pressen the parte held in the lrelationship referred to` above, whereupon said prongs are' upsetVor clinched" as is indie-'ated' at' 1`9'a'ndl20 respectively to lirmly secure the parts 10,'11 and 16`in a lined position relative to each other.`

I t isfo'f course,` understood that the prongs or'pio-jeetioris 14 and l'are made' of slightly greater length than tlie` thickness' of the riatferial ofth'e members 10 and 11to' obtain The members" 16"` may be made' of' any dey sired shape as long as the shape thereofdoes `niet `interfere With the function'theref as means for" securingthe' insulating" members sind the conducting terminl lcarrying members in firedv relative positron, it being', of

course, obvius that by climbing`` or'riveting the parts togetli'er as described above, the members 16 are lined iiiposbition"relative to eaoh other' and' to the ijnembers lO'nd` 1I and met' the' members ioahd" 11` are fixed'. end spjaced relative to each other, this' spacing being; of course, accomplished dueto the" enggement of' the' members 10 and? 1r wthrthe edges or' Teh-es' 21 and 22 provided" on' the `membersy 16. The members l6,`V it Willf'bel iioted from Figiy 25 are widened" at" theends thereof to provide u a Wide bbaiing :It the' edges 21 and aesinet the. members 10 a'nd ll-l` 'ahlf :ire r'e'dce, the` Cent-rai portion' sgme'so that the ears 18` een be strucklfrom` the edge" portions of thenlfafteri'a-ldnd lie. iii

Close pojrim-ity to the screws 17. The` platee'` 16 are provided with suitable' contant mem'-` enses entweicha amable @smet meer;

Heres is ahap'ten mi esegue' brid said t g .A ge e essere e3. rae @entrasse une provides Witwen-s 25 ,that lire rivedi' 'or @sementi enfer; seiten-Ie manner; te members .ne me a'eavviii'the members-,2eme

shown as being' secured by means of rivets eitlendiltc. thi''lgh stible in `the members 16 to said members 16, saidrivets` extending through aligning o enings metable"` sentant" member 24A df the switch mechanism may be of any type, but is shown as being ota'n oscilltingor swinging type Whiehzs pivotelly mounted on suitable sup` ports 27 on the switch vframe 28 `Which carries"V an extension 29 having 'themniversal'ly ti'ltable operatingA member ,3Q provided thereon The` switchr frame 27 comprises a pair of side members 31 that are provided With pairs ot projectionsor prongs 321th'at extend'l` into the openings `33; in theqmembers 10 a-ldll. the openings before' the projections 14 and lajre clinehed over on the membersfl() and'llend are of schglengt'h that the switch frame will be held firmly in position between theniembers` l0and-11 due'tof the engagement of thelnembers 10 andrll with the edge portions'fl` of the members'l when" saidy inelnbes and-15 are headed or r-iveted over as shown at'19 or 20.

`It is', of course, obvious that; if#` desired, the prongs 32 could; also be made of fa,- len th' such` as to rivet the parts` together there "yyf but this is otneeessry and'is preferably'not done, as the parts are morejeasily assembled and" held together with sufficient firmness by the arrangement shown. in thedrav'vings; In'

Said prongs 32 l'are pl'acedxinin'` the einer; sa ses `mer;tigese 5 The i vievY of tlie fact that pairs: of prongs 'or' projections are used for seouringtthe various partstogetlier, it is obvious that no movement of the partsrelative to each otheris possible, as any twisting orvturning action;

would be prevented'by the `fitting of the p ro- ]e'ctions in the openings in `the insulating me'nnbers.` It is not necesserythatthe prongs loo project endwise from .the platesY 16 as any.

other sluipe of'platc 'or' conducting member for carrying' the `wiring terminals maybe provided' with the prongs projectil'ig from any' desired portion thereof as long'` as the arrangement is such as to pr'opeily jspaeethe inslating members relative to Yeach other and' secure' the parts in fixed relationship` It i'salso obvious that While terminal screws" are' shown `tor securing the conductors to the?" confhieting membersI that any lornl of terminals n'lfaywbe earned thereby suol'r as the switchterniinals 23:v An ,opening 4U; isY prog i vided in the' `,member V10"` to" aceommo'djete the contact; making end of theV movable co` '1r` 'tactV member "24 Whenthe seme is in; open; t

if no such opening were provided and. in

this way increasing the compactness of the device; This cutting away of the insulating member l() does not affect the insulation of the entirel device from the shell or other current carrying parts as the insulating lining of the shell will prevent any contact of any current vcarrying part with the shell.

1The switch mechanism described above is, of course, ordinarily mounted in a suitable lnetallic casing which is provided with a lining of insulating material 36 and in the form of switch mechanism shown, is usually mounted within the canopy 37 as shown in Fig. 5 although itis obvious that the terminal carrying members mounted between thel insulating members in the manner described above may form a portion of any other form of switch mechanism which may be used in any place where such switch devices are usable whether ina-canopy or any other position.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described a pair of insulating members having openings therein, a pair of metallic members having projections mounted in said openings and a switch mounting engaging said insulating members, said projections being upset against said members to secure said metallic members to said insulating members and to hold said insulating members in definite spaced relation to thereby hold said switch mounting in position.

2. In a device of the character described a pair of insulating members, means for holding the same in fixed spaced relation to each other, a pair of contacts mounted between said insulating members and a movable contact arm pivotally mounted to swing between said insulating members into and out of engagement with said pair of contacts, one of said insulating members being spaced from said contacts and having an opening therein opposite said contacts to accommodate said contact arm when the same is out of engagement with said pair of contacts and thus increase the distance vbetween the contact arm and said contacts.

3. In a switch mechanism, a pair of insulating members having openings therein, a pair ofconducting members mounted between said insulating members` said conducting members each having projections entering said openings and clinch-ed'against said insulating members to hold said insulating and conducting members in definite fixed relationship to each other, and a switch framework having projections seated in openings in said insulating member whereby said framework is held in position therebetween.

4. In a switch mechanism, a pair of insulating members having openings therein, a pair of conducting members mounted between said insulating members and extending substantiallyat right angles thereto, said conducting members each having a flexible contact rivetedthereon and being clinched against said insulating members to hold said insulating and conducting members in definite fixed relationship to each other and a-switch framework having projections seated in the openings in said insulating members, whereby said framework is held in position therebetween, saidswitch framework having a movable contact member mounted thereon adapted tov bridgey said contacts.

5. In a switch mechanism, apair of insulating-members having openings therein, a pair' of conducting members mounted between said` insulating members, said conducting' members each having a yswitch contact'thereon and having projections entering said openings and clinchedagainst said insulating members to hold said insulating and conducting members in definite fixed relationship to each other: and a switch 'framework having projections seated in openings in said-insulating member whereby said framework is held in position therebetween, said switch framework having a movable contact member mounted thereon adapted to bridge said contacts.

6. In a switch mechanism, a pair of in-v sulating members having openings therein, a pair of conducting members mounted between said insulating members and extending substantially at vright angles thereto, said conducting members each having a flexible contact riveted thereon and being clinched against said insulating members to hold said insulating and conducting members in definite fixed relationship to each other and a switch framework having pairs yof projections seated in the paired openings in said insulating members, whereby said framework is held in position therebetween, said switch framework having a movable contact member mounted thereon adapted to bridge said contacts.

7. In a device of the character described, a pair of conducting members each having a plurality of spaced projections on each end thereot1 and means for holding said conducting members in definite spaced relation to each other and insulating saidmembers from each other comprising a pair of members of insulating material each having a plurality of openings therein through each of which one of said projections extends, said projections having means thereon for securing the same in said openings to form a rigid framework of said members.

8. In a switch mechanism, a pair of insulating members having openings therein, a pair of conducting members mounted between said insulating members and extending substantially at right angles thereto,

Y saideonduetingfiiiembers each-havingay conmembers of insulating material having open` said insulating. members and said conducttalct thereon and being clinchd'against said insulating members i t-o hold saidf :insulating and conducting members in definite iixed re-` lationship to ea'ch other and a switch fra-me- Work Vhaving projections seated in theeopen" ings insaid insulatin ymembers,` whereby said framework is` he d .in position therebetween; said; switch framework having a movable Contact member mounted thereon adapted to bridge said contacts. s n s Y 9: Ina deviceI ofthe character described,` a` pair offeonducting members having Vprojections thereon and means for holdin said conducting members `in' denite space rela tion to each other and insulating said members" from .eachother comprising al pair oi ings'thel'ein through which said projections extend; said progeetions having means thereon` for securing the saine in1 said openings,

ing" members forming a rigid rectangular frzimeworkwith one pair oi' 'opposite sides of conducting. material and the otherpair of sides\of"insulatingmaterial and a switch frame mounted within said"` rectan ular frame and-between `said insulating mem ers, said l switch framey having, pairs of f projet:` tionsiseated in paired openings in saidV insulating members.v l A l 3,

10. In adevice of the character described,V

a` pair of insulating members,v means for holding the `same in fixed spaced `relation to each other,- a pair of contacts mounted between said insulating members with .the

AContact making ends `thereof lying adjacent olnejof saidinsulatingmembers and a {movable, cont-fact` arm pivotally mounted tol swing between said insulating members `into and r vieron unserm; 

